The 21-Day Habit is Killing Your Growth w/B.J Fogg

The 21-Day Habit is Killing Your Growth is what BJ Fogg—Stanford professor and creator of the Fogg Behavior Model—has proven through decades of research helping leaders design behaviors that stick.
Most SME leaders struggle with motivation, believing lack of ambition holds them back from scaling. Wrong. It's not motivation—it's designing the right behaviors and making them ridiculously easy to do.
In this episode, BJ Fogg reveals why the 21-day habit myth is nonsense, how emotions (not repetition) create lasting change, and the practical framework SME leaders can use to double revenue without burning out.
The Fogg Behavior Model (B=MAP):
A behavior happens when three things converge at the same moment:

Motivation: You want to do it
Ability: It's easy to do
Prompt: Something reminds you

If any one is missing, the behavior won't happen. This explains everything—why you ate the chocolates, why your team doesn't execute, why customers don't convert.
The 21-Day Myth Is Hogwash:
Habits don't form through repetition. They form through EMOTION. The stronger you feel successful doing something small, the faster it becomes automatic. That's why two push-ups after you pee works better than committing to an hour at the gym.
The Maui Habit (2M+ Views):
Every morning, say: "Today is going to be a great day." Not naive optimism—setting an upward trajectory. When the next challenge hits, you handle it better. Momentum builds.
Scaling Your SME Using Behavior Design:
Stop trying to "motivate yourself to scale" (too abstract). Instead:
Step 1 - Get Clear: What's the specific outcome? (e.g., double revenue in 6 months)
Step 2 - Magic Wanding: Who would do what behavior to help achieve this?

What would the CEO do weekly?
What would the customer experience team do?
What would existing customers do?

Generate 60+ behaviors. Don't guess—brainstorm systematically.
Step 3 - Crispification: Make sure they're actual behaviors (not vague goals)
Step 4 - Focus Mapping: Prioritize on two dimensions:

Impact (effectiveness at achieving outcome)
Feasibility (can you actually get people to do this?)

The upper right corner = your "Golden Behaviors." Forget the other 57.
Step 5 - Design for Those 3 Behaviors:

Make them ridiculously easy
Create prompts
Design for motivation that already exists

The Motivation Wave:
When motivation is HIGH (after crafting your vivid vision), do the HARD things: hire, buy equipment, make commitments, redesign space. When motivation drops, you won't be able to do these.
The I-We-You Method (from Lloyd Thompson episode parallels):

I do it (demonstrate)
We do it (they drive, you guide)
You do it (they own it)

Key Insights:
Help people do what they already want to do (Fogg Maxim #1)—don't fight against existing motivation
The easier a behavior, the less motivation needed (trade-offs matter)
Help people feel successful (Fogg Maxim #2)—builds relationships, overcomes fear, creates momentum
Focus ruthlessly—Google started with search, Facebook with sharing, Instagram with photos. Narrow focus wins.
Celebrate immediately—emotion creates habits, not repetition
"Everyone does the best they can. Nobody tries to screw up." (Compassion changes everything)

Practical Monday Action:
After brushing teeth, do 3 pistol squats (or 2 push-ups). Feel successful. Your identity shifts: "I'm the kind of person who takes care of myself." That ripples into every decision you make.

About BJ Fogg:
Dr. BJ Fogg is a behavior scientist, Stanford professor, and founder of the Behavior Design Lab. For over 25 years, he's taught innovators how behavior works and trained thousands to design for lasting change. His students include Instagram's co-founder and Notion's CEO (100M+ users). Author of the bestselling "Tiny Habits" and creator of the Fogg Behavior Model, BJ's work has influenced millions worldwide. His Maui Habit TED Talk has 2M+ views.
Connect with BJ Fogg:

Website: BJFogg.com
Tiny Habits: TinyHabits.com
Behavior Design: BehaviorDesign.org
Book: "Tiny Habits: The Small Changes That Change Everything"
TED Talk: "Forget Big Change, Start with a Tiny Habit"

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